Footprints

Tamara was surprised last month to find out that I'm currently serving as a counselor in our Ward Primary. I was surprised I hadn't told her. She wondered if anyone else knew. So, I'm back in Primary since last October and enjoy working with the children. It is a lot more comfortable for me than teaching seminary, sorry to say.

I'm responsible for Cub Scouts and have been pretty busy with helping them do monthly pack meetings. Last week our pack had decided to have the theme, "Leave no trace," or "Leave nothing but Footprints." So I cut out foot cookies, decorated them with a light cocoa royal icing and put white toenails on. They looked fun and the kids thought they were cool (don't know if they understood that it tied in with the theme though). One 8 year old came up to me and said, "I sure don't like the bread on this but I like the frosting!" I got a kick out of that - who doesn't like sugar cookies and who likes to eat royal icing?

Cape May, New Jersey

What a great place to visit! We spent a day in Cape May, New Jersey and loved walking on Huges and Decatur streets to take a look at many of the old Victorian homes! Most of them are now B&B places. They are kept up so beautifully! We enjoyed a little shopping, a little eating (at Lucky Bones for cod sandwiches and crabcakes), and finding our own Cape May diamonds at Sunset Beach. They are little smooth and flat quartz pebbles that wash up on the beach. When polished by a gemsmith, they become clear like diamonds. You'll always wonder now if I am wearing my actual diamond earrings or my Cape May diamonds! (big price difference!) We just missed going into the Cape May lighthouse (closed 10 mins. earlier)! We went into the lobby of the Angel of the Sea B&B to view the Victorian theme. We drove by the Emlen Physick estate-big and beautiful. So many daffodils and flowering trees were in bloom that we didn't mind the cold breezes by the sea!

Jersey Coast Lighthouses

I had a great idea for our family vacation - go to 7 lighthouses on the Jersey coast. Everyone loves to see and explore inside lighthouses! I read about lighthouses on the coast and scheduled a visit to each on a day they would be opened (not all are opened everyday or have restricted hours...). After all of that, we were only able to go inside one lighthouse and that on a very rainy day! I found the internet and even the AAA book weren't always correct on times/days open. But that's ok. I think we all had fun taking a peek (or at least several pictures) of the 6 lighthouses we went to. My favorite?? Hmm. Here are some pictures - which is your favorite?

Absecon	Sea Girt
Barnegat	Tucker
Cape May	Hereford

Monopoly in Atlantic City!

One of Mike's favorite childhood boardgames was Monopoly. So we braved a very rainy morning and drove into Atlantic City to drive those famous streets: Atlantic Ave., Pacific Ave., St. James Place, Park Place....So, of course, when we returned we had to play a game of Monopoly in celebration of being here. We had hoped to find a great spot to buy a souvenir set in Atlantic City but weren't successful. Maybe on a drier day we will return and walk the Boardwalk and find our souvenir game!

PS: Right now Grandma is actually in JAIL - isn't she dressed appropriately? And the real life banker is the one with the most cash right now! We'll have to see how this game turns out!

I am a Patriot

The Liberty Bell by H.R.H. Moore

Ring out that hallowed Bell!
Ring it long, ring it long;
Through the wide world let it tell
That Freedom's strong.

When I Pledge the Allegiance, when I hear Lee Greenwood sing, "I'm Proud to be an American," when I see the Liberty Bell, when I hear stories of the founding fathers and patriots, when I go through Independence Hall and the National Archives and see the flag fly in a parade...I become very emotional. I am so grateful to be an American and I love my country. I love reading in the Book of Mormon how this land is chosen for freedom and the restoration of the gospel. What great men under the guidance of God, established this nation for us. Thank you!